Ukraine Eyes $25m From Adult-Content Industry to Help Fund War

Ukraine is moving toward decriminalising consensual adult pornography as lawmakers seek additional domestic revenue to help finance the country’s war effort against Russia.

A bill backed by Ukrainian lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak passed its first reading in parliament in July with 231 votes and is awaiting a second reading. The proposed legislation would remove criminal penalties for consensual adult intimate content while maintaining or strengthening penalties for offences involving children and coercion.

Zhelezniak, who chairs Ukraine’s parliamentary Finance Committee and co-authored the bill, has estimated that bringing the adult-content industry into the formal economy could generate approximately $25 million in annual tax revenue.

He has argued that the money could help finance military equipment, including as many as 30,000 drones. The figure is an estimate from the lawmaker rather than a guaranteed revenue projection.

The proposed reform addresses a legal contradiction in Ukraine. While the country has a substantial online adult-content industry, producing and distributing pornography remains criminalised under existing law. This has created difficulties for creators who declare income from the activity because tax compliance can potentially expose them to prosecution under pornography laws.

Data cited by The Washington Post showed that around 7,900 Ukrainians earned more than $131 million through OnlyFans in 2023 alone, illustrating the size of the potential tax base.

Supporters say decriminalisation could allow the government to tax an existing industry, reduce opportunities for police extortion and bring adult-content creators into a clearer legal framework.

The proposal has also attracted opposition. Critics have raised concerns about public morality, human trafficking and the potential exploitation of minors. The legislation therefore distinguishes consensual adult content from child sexual exploitation and coercion.

The proposed $25 million would represent only a small portion of Ukraine’s overall wartime financing needs. Nevertheless, supporters argue that formalising an industry that already generates substantial income could provide an additional source of domestic revenue while reducing the legal uncertainty surrounding adult-content creators.

The bill still has to pass its second reading and complete Ukraine’s legislative process before it can become law.